Vatican suspected of rejecting gay French ambassador

[Warren Stupidity]

The Vatican has been dragging its feet on the approval of France’s ambassador to the Holy See, raising suspicions that it has effectively rejected the nomination of Laurent Stéfanini because he is gay.

The Vatican declined to comment on speculation about the delay.

Stéfanini, a 55-year-old practising Catholic, has been described in the Italian press as an exemplary candidate and a man of “exceptional culture”. He is a senior diplomat and chief of protocol in the French government of François Hollande.

His nomination was put forward in January but the Vatican has not responded, usually an indication that the potential ambassador has been rejected. Reports in both the French and Italian press suggested the decision was clearly connected to Stéfanini being gay.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/10/vatican-suspected-rejecting-approval-gay-french-ambassador-laurent-stefanini

Bigoted is as bigoted does.

[AlbertCat]

1. What if France cut off all diplomatic ties to the Holy See?

There's an entire HBO miniseries right there.

[bvf]

2. That would appear to be in line

with the vatican's wishes.

I say give them what they want, but France should loudly and very publicly say why.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Or go even further than cutting off ties.

Maybe war is in order. I believe that wars have been fought for less.

[onager]

10. I had the same idea.

What a great headline: FRANCE INVADES VATICAN CITY

And that should be OK under international law. Since Vatican City wants to be a real, independent nation for purposes of meddling in the business of other nations. Especially when it comes to the rights of women, gays and other people who don't live anywhere near Vatican Nation.

Want the benefits of being a separate country? Then you can take the consequences as well.

And finally, those damn Swiss Guards would earn their pay. They've been lollygagging around the Vatican since the 15th century, collecting mercenary wages for doing pretty much nothing. Except posing for tourist photos.

[nil desperandum]

11. Swiss Guard Indeed!

Those pikes should work well against the FFL's modern firearms...




VS.

[trotsky]

3. "Who am I to judge?"

The PR Pope. Nothing has changed.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. I've heard this is "pure speculation" at this point,

or from the same source, that "it likely is" an accurate report. I just wonder how both of those statements could possibly be true.

[skepticscott]

9. Translation error!

[LiberalAndProud]

5. "Clearly, even at the Vatican they do not practice what they preach,"

http://www.dw.de/vatican-criticized-after-refusing-gay-french-ambassadors-nomination/a-18374681

[mountain grammy]

6. So much for that "who am I to judge" nonsense.

[LiberalAndProud]

8. The Vatican's influence in France has been slipping for a while now.

I'm sure this slight will stem the tide. or not.

http://www.ibtimes.com/church-decline-frances-vanishing-catholics-1125241